Thanks for the grade, let’s move on

The ups and downs of the film business are a reality that everyone in the entertainment industry lives with every day -- and certainly no one more than I recognizes that riding on a roller coaster can be alternately thrilling, terrifying, hysterical and heart stopping. And somewhere in the middle of the chaos is the press, judging our performance, rightly or wrongly.

In Patrick Goldstein’s report card last week (“Low points; high marks,” Jan. 13), he rightly awarded the studio I work for, DreamWorks, a D-. As head of production, I take responsibility for our less-than-stellar showing. You win some; you lose some.

Filmmaking is a little bit gut, a little bit instinct, a little bit luck, and I feel privileged to have spent three years at a company that did not hesitate to make a wide range of interesting product, from “Old School” to “House of Sand and Fog,” from “Road Trip” to “American Beauty.”

One of the main reasons that the studio has consistently taken risks is due to the presence of Walter Parkes, and for Goldstein to print such an egregious misconception that Walter has somehow been anything but a tireless advocate for excellence is simply wrong. While I am touched by Goldstein’s concern for my welfare, the reality is that Walter and I have never had anything but a productive and respectful relationship. His role as a producer has never conflicted with any other agenda and, in fact, he has always given me the help I needed. He does not deserve to be the subject of negative mythology and third-hand speculation. His track record speaks for itself.

As for being “left in the lurch,” I remain as I always have -- happy to come to work, thrilled to be in a business that I love, and proud to work for people who love movies.

So thanks for taking me back to my school days. I’ll have my parents sign my report card and I promise we’ll do better.